Drawing upon Victorian miniature portraiture as inspiration, Steve Locke’s circumference (2005) series consists of ninety-nine small circular self-portraits. Exploring the circle as a specific space through drawing, Locke’s portraits are fit within the interior circumference of a cock ring, a device to enhance and hold the sexualized body, which functions as a sort of container for desire. According to Locke, “Self-portraiture is a form of self-location. It is a means to understand where I am physically and emotionally, in addition to being a way to explore formal issues and materials. … This work lays claim to a contained, sexualized space for the full expression of my personality.”
